Paul Wash is a Canadian self-taught photographer and has been making images since 1983.
My first exposure to photography was watching my Dad take photographs of our family, relatives, pets and outings with a Kodak Duex. I was young and inquisitive about how things worked, but was amazed when the negatives were developed, and a moment of time was preserved. I didn't pursue photography, as we were not allowed to play with this camera, but it always fascinated me. Apparently, this stuck with me; showing again in my early 20s.
I became quite intrigued with the process after doing some modeling with a friend for her Father, who was a photographer / videographer for Queen's University. He would invite me to watch the steps taken to develop and produce prints in a darkroom that lacked for nothing.
I hadn't gotten around to buying a good camera, when I met my future Bride. Her Brother was a real photography 'Nut'. I watched as he took over his parent's kitchen, to develop all sorts of expensive films and print on some exotic papers. It was awesome! So, I saved up my money and bought a Olympus XA2, a 35mm camera that barely fit into my big mitts. I shot a lot with that little weapon; and learned a lot about composition.
Then...along came marriage and then later, a child. Well, I had to have a real camera and some real lenses. I purchased my first SLR, a Chinon CM-4S in 1983. It was a totally manual camera. I shot slide film back then and I had to quickly learn all aspects of photography, as this was expensive to buy, and you only got 36 exposures to get something right.
I had three SLR cameras by the time digital photography was about to break into the market. I did not believe that digital would take off. But I reluctantly purchased a 'bridge' 4.1 megapixel camera. I was impressed.
Eventually, I graduated to digital DSLRs and never looked back.
Being born and raised in Kingston, and employed by the City of Kingston allowed me to really see many aspects of this wonderful and photogenic city. I take a lot of different types of photography, but the subject of KIngston is close to my heart.
Along the way, I acquired many old photographs that required some TLC. I had some experience with Photoshop, but I taught myself a lot of ins and outs to repair these old gems. With learning these skills, I have dabbled in the abstract world of photography, and repair old photographs for others.
Artist's Statement
Photography for me is a passion. I don't get caught up in awards and recognition, but I am proud that a lot of my images have been published and used to promote the City of Kingston in many ways. Since retiring, I work at construction progression photography, but still take time to make images for me. I look for views that might produce a good image, and then mentally put together what would be required to tweak it. This would include waiting out the proper weather, time of day / night, season and lighting, Sometimes this requires access to rooftops, flights or restricted areas of view not available to the general public.
I try to capture images that are different than the normal, catching that 'something extra' that people want to see. In this way, I feel that photography has come of age, and is a true art.